[UPWOD Nº49] The LABS Incineration Workout — Legs, Abs, & HIIT
*UPWODs are Lean It UP’s Workout of the Day. For more info on UPWODs, how to do them effectively, and what they’re all about, read the introductory guide before starting.
**You can find all of our previous UPWODs here.
HUMP DAY! Blast Wednesday in the face with one of my all-time favorite workout combos: legs and abs, aka LABS.
UPWOD Nº49—The LABS Incineration Workout—takes your traditional leg day, infuses it with a double shot of abs, and amps it up with two major upgrades: quick-hitting GIANT SETS and a HIIT cardio grand finale.
Workout Nº49 is unique because it leverages giant sets. Each leg exercise (or leg superset) is strategically paired with an ab superset. You’ll do each leg exercise and immediately follow it up with an ab superset (1L+1A, 2L+2A, 3L+3A), back-to-back, without rest.
SUPERSETS ON SUPERSETS.
In practice it’ll look like:
- [1L] Barbell Squats (12 reps) + Barbell Calf Raises (12 reps) —> [1A] Plank (60 secs) + Side Planks (45 secs/side) all without rest. Once you’re finished with all 4 exercises, rest 1 minute and repeat.
Because the legs and abs are (mostly) unrelated muscle groups, combining the two is an incredibly efficient way to keep your heart rate elevated and maintain intensity without becoming overly fatigued.
It’s a fat-incinerating, muscle-churning masterclass that’ll ignite the middle of your week. GET IT ROLLING.
[UPWOD Nº49] The LABS Incineration Workout — Legs, Abs, & HIIT
Note: there are 4 sets per leg exercise and only 3 per ab superset. Your final leg set will always be standalone.
**Bonus info for each exercise:
- 1L. [SUPERSET] Barbell Squats + Barbell Calf Raises — standard squats and standing calf raises. Do 12 reps of each exercise back-to-back.
- 1A. [SUPERSET] Planks + Side Planks — for planks, keep your butt up and abs braced. For side planks, prop yourself up on your forearm.
- 2L. Goblet Squats — keep the dumbbell up at neck height throughout.
- 2A. [SUPERSET] Cross Crunches + V-Ups — for cross crunches, touch your elbow to the opposite knee. Do 20 reps on one side and then repeat for the opposite. For v-ups, raise your legs straight up, crunch up, and touch your toes.
- 3L. Dumbell Lunges — standard dumbbell lunges.
- 3A. [SUPERSET] Bicycle Crunches + Reverse Crunches — for bicycle crunches, touch your elbow to the opposite knee and continue to alternate in rhythm. For reverse crunches, contract your lower abs and thrust your butt up off the floor.
- 4. Barbell Hip Thrusts — sub a dumbbell or kettlebell if needed. Thrust up, squeeze your butt, and hold at the top for 2 seconds.
- 5. Stairmaster Blaster HIIT — the Stairmaster Blaster HIIT workout is available and downloadable here. If you don’t have a stair mill, do the incline treadmill HIIT workout from UPWOD Nº1 (10% incline, 3 MPH/8-10 MPH for 45 second intervals). Do it for 4 rounds, or 12 minutes.
The grey column provides substitute exercises that you can do in-home with resistance bands (RBs) and dumbbells so that everyone can blast through the UPWODs.
If you don’t have resistance bands, I use and recommend Black Mountain’s set. If you need dumbbells, I love the Bowflex SelectTech 552 adjustable dumbbells.
Bryan DiSanto
I also contribute to Men's Health Magazine.
When I'm not working on my abs (or somebody else’s), whipping up avocado roses and avocado toast, or running a Tough Mudder, I'm probably yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.
Come be friends with me on Instagram (@BRYDISANTO) & Snapchat (BRYDISANTO).
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